Rapids Re-Sign Team Captain Pablo Mastroeni

COMMERCE CITY CO (Tuesday November 11 2008) – The Colorado Rapids announced today that the club have re-signed team captain Pablo Mastroeni. Per club and league policy terms of the deal were not announced.

"I think that this is an exciting time for the Colorado Rapids organization Mastroeni said. "After being here for seven years I want to leave with some type of hardware and I think we have the right ingredients to get that done."

In Colorado team history Mastroeni has played in the fifth-most games (132) has started the third-most games (126) and has also played the fourth-most minutes (11042).

Three times he has helped lead the Rapids to the Western Conference Championship. The Argentina native has also been named an MLS All-Star for nine consecutive years which is tied for second all-time in MLS.

Mastroeni is also the Rapids' two-time defending Most Valuable Player having earned the award in 2007 and 2008. The Rapids Most Valuable Player Award goes to the player who has led the team by example who has most represented the club with pride and who has been most indispensable to the Rapids.

For seven seasons now Pablo Mastroeni has been the heart and soul of the Rapids and this season was no different. Earning this award for the second consecutive year Pablo exemplified everything it means to be a Rapids player leaving it all on the field every game while serving as Team Captain again this season.

Mastroeni has represented the United States in two World Cups (2002 and 2006) and has been a member of three CONCACAF Gold Cup winning sides. In eight years with the US national team Mastroeni has earned 61 caps.